Exhibition at the Canvas Gallery, 76 Stranmillis Road, Belfast

On Thursday evening of the 26th March I went to the opening of a group art exhibition at the Canvas Gallery, in Belfast, as I know one of the participating artists, Andrew Cranley (he has an art studio on the same premises as I do, at Studio 23). The gallery was crowded and there was an excellent atmosphere. The five participating artists were very different in their style of work, which helped to make it an exciting exhibition, but – for me – the most interesting work was that by Andrew.

What I find particularly interesting is his vibrant use of colour. The backgrounds tend to be made up from dabs and streaks of brightly coloured paint, with a layer of contrasting colour underneath, which gives a sense of movement to the paintings as a whole. Figures are painted much more broadly, which gives them a solidity which makes them stand out from the background. They tend to be static, frozen in a moment of time, while the surroundings shimmer and move around them. The result is a dream-like, magical quality in the paintings as a whole.

Andrew, in front of one of his paintings.